Bacillus licheniformis bacterium is a gram-positive, mesophilic bacterium that is commonly found in the soil and on bird feathers, especially on the chest and back plumage of ground-dwelling and aquatic birds. It is cultured to obtain protease for use in laundry detergent. Other applications that have been explored include use in synthesis of gold nanoparticles and as an agent to fight tooth decay.
Clostridium is a gram positive bacterium capable of forming spores and colonizing the intestines of humans and animals of agricultural importance such as cattle, poultry, and swine. There are a variety of Clostridium species that are troublesome pathogens in both humans and animals. Not only do the bacteria themselves present problems in terms of their pathogenicity, they also produce toxins that can cause extremely adverse health effects in humans and animals. In humans, the Clostridium bacteria from the species botulinum produces the botulism toxin that can cause muscle paralysis; the perfringens species causes food poisoning and gas gangrene in people and enterotoxaemia in sheep and goats; the tetani species causes tetanus, resulting in lockjaw or spastic paralysis in humans, cattle, dogs and other animals; the sordelli species causes pneumonia, endocarditis, arthritis, peritonitis and myonecrosis, as well as toxic shock syndrome.
The difficile species is of concern to humans and animals for colitis. It is capable of colonizing the intestines of humans and animals, including horses, cattle, poultry and swine. Much foodborne illness is also linked to C. difficile. In humans, C. difficile is most commonly known for its ability to cause disease in hospitalized patients who are being treated with antibiotics or chemotherapy for an infection from another bacterium. During this time, exposure to C. difficile, which is resistant to many common antibiotics, takes advantage of the reduction of colonic flora, growing rapidly and causing severe diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain.
Many cases of C. difficile infection have been reported from non-hospitalized patients where the source is believed to be mainly foodborne illness. C. difficile has been isolated from animal fecal samples of agricultural importance such as cattle, poultry, and swine and also from food products which come from these produce. This link is believed to be the source of many cases of foodborne illness.
Accordingly, new and effective methods to inhibit C. difficile and other clostridium species, along with new and effective methods to prevent them from producing the harmful toxins are desired.